Influenza Prevention Program

September 20, 2017

Colleagues,

Influenza continues to be a serious medical issue facing our community. During the last influenza season, there were 219 deaths related to the disease. As health care providers, we share an obligation to protect our patients, their families, and ourselves.

Therefore, we expect 95 percent of faculty, staff and learners on our campus to be vaccinated against this potentially fatal illness by November 1, 2017. That percentage marks the vaccination rate needed to achieve community immunity and protect East Carolina University's Division of Health Sciences against the flu. Influenza vaccination is mandatory for all clinical staff.

Individuals who fail to meet the vaccination deadline of November 1, 2017, may face disciplinary action. We do have a process for workers or learners who demonstrate that an exemption is warranted based on a medical contraindication or a sincerely held religious belief, practice or observance. These requests will be thoroughly reviewed before an exemption is granted.

Those employees on the campus who are not involved in direct patient care should still be vaccinated. Even if you are not in a clinic, you are likely interacting - over lunch, in meetings, or in our classrooms - with someone who is. Our goal is to protect as many people as possible.

Influenza vaccinations can be obtained from any source selected by an employee or student as long as documentation of vaccination is submitted through the approved process.
Additionally, flu shot clinics are scheduled this fall across ECU:

10/3: Dental School

10/4: ECHI

10/9: BSOM

10/23: Mendenhall

Each will run from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. with pediatric nurses available after 2 p.m. to vaccinate children.

Additional details on the clinics and annual vaccination program can be found on this website. Here, you will also find the procedures for receiving and documenting your vaccination, schedules for immunization clinics, vaccine information sheets, vaccination consent forms, exception request forms, FAQs and other details. If you have additional questions after visiting the website, email them to
fluvaccine@ecu.edu.